After ‘great’ 2022, Shakib expects even better 2023 for Bangladesh cricket
Bangladesh began the year 2022 with a bang, securing their first ever Test victory over New Zealand in Mount Maunganui.
The historic Test win was followed by two One-Day International (ODI) series wins overseas against South Africa and the West Indies and a home ODI series win over India.
The Tigers nearly ended the year with their first ever Test win over India, before succumbing to a heart breaking three-wicket defeat at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Sunday.
Although the year ended in a defeat, Test and Twenty20 captain Shakib Al Hasan claimed that 2022 was a good year for Bangladesh cricket and expects the Tigers to come up with even better results in all three formats in 2023.
“I felt that, overall, we had a great year in 2022. I think we have improved a lot in our mentality, where we lacked the most. The things we talk about in the dressing room, the type of leadership that’s being created, we can have a different 2023,” Shakib said after the second Test against India.
According to the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP), Bangladesh will play five Tests in 2023 and all five of those will be home Tests.
Bangladesh will host Ireland in a one-off Test series in March or April, play a two-Test series against Afghanistan in June-July and play a couple of Tests against New Zealand in November-December.
“According to the FTP, we have five Tests in 2023. Given the types of teams we will be playing against, I feel that we should win all three Test series,” Shakib said.
Shakib is also happy with Bangladesh’s improvement in T20s, a format where Bangladesh couldn’t accomplish anything worth of note this year.
“We are in a good position in T20s too. I think, in six months’ time we will have a settled T20 team, which could do very well at the 2024 T20 World Cup. I think we can be successful in that World Cup, as that edition will take place at the West Indies.”
Bangladesh’s biggest assignment in 2023 will be the ICC ODI World Cup, which will take place in India.
Shakib believes Bangladesh have a very good chance of doing well at the World Cup, if they can perform according to their abilities.
“We have a settled ODI side, there is no reason for us not to do well at the format. We have lost just one home series since 2015. I don’t think there is any reason for us to perform badly in ODIs.
“This is the World Cup year, which is of course a big challenge for us because this is the one tournament where we don’t perform as per our expectations. But if we can play as a team and get contributions from everywhere then we should do well at the World Cup.”